The Best Landing Spot for Elias Pettersson: New York Islanders

Elias Pettersson has become one of the most polarizing players in the NHL over the past few years. After signing what was, at the time, a well-deserved $11.6 million per year extension thanks to a 102-point 2022-23 campaign, things have gone off the rails, and not everyone is convinced he’ll ever return to that level.

A well-documented rift with J.T. Miller that ultimately led to Miller’s departure, combined with a steep drop in offensive production, has Pettersson’s future in Vancouver appearing to be on its last legs. While rumors have conflicted on whether or not he could in fact be moved as soon as before the Olympics, whenever a trade does inevitably happen, the New York Islanders should be in strong pursuit.

---

Rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer has injected new life into the organization at a time when it desperately needed it, and the Islanders have suddenly become fun to watch again. They currently sit second in a wide-open Metropolitan Division, which begs the question: Why not take a big swing that helps now and in the future?

New GM Mathieu Darche has done strong work accumulating draft capital and restocking the prospect pool, building off some other smart moves made prior to his arrival. As a result, the Islanders now boast a solid mix of prospects, picks, and cap flexibility, to an already competitive core of Mathew Barzal, Bo Horvat, Ilya Sorokin, and, of course, Schaefer.

What they might be missing is one more game breaker up front. While those don’t become available very often, Pettersson has proven he’s capable of being one, and given that the cost to acquire him might never be this low, the Islanders should pounce on the opportunity.

What Could It Cost the Islanders to Land Elias Pettersson?

Vancouver is believed to want a center back in any Pettersson deal, which could make Danny Nelson an appealing starting point. The Islanders’ second-round pick (49th overall) in 2023 has been productive at the collegiate level and impressed with Team USA at the World Juniors.

That could be the anchor for a larger package. Add a first-round pick—of which the Islanders have two in 2026—along with another prospect such as Isaiah George or Jesse Pulkkinen, and the conversation becomes far more interesting for Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin.

To make the money work, a contract of magnitude like Jonathan Drouin, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, or Maxim Tsyplakov would need to be included, possibly with some retention on Pettersson, which would force Darche to further up his offer.

The Canucks could very well say that isn’t enough, but this isn’t the 102-point version of Pettersson teams would be paying for. This is a player who has produced at a 58-point pace over his last 105 games; that’s a huge difference. Two quality prospects, another first-round pick, and a contract Vancouver could flip elsewhere for additional assets might be about as strong a return as they can realistically expect.

Pettersson clearly needs a change of scenery, and landing in a quieter market would be ideal. It has worked out well for Bo Horvat on Long Island, and given the Islanders’ upward trajectory and renewed positivity around the franchise, it feels like the right environment for Pettersson to rediscover the form that once had many believing he was a top-10 player in the world.

Next: Ivan Demidov Tracking to Be Even Better Than Kirill Kaprizov?